My Husband’s Debt Made Me His Enemy’s Bride

Seven years. Seven long years since I'd last set foot in New York City. The skyline stretched before me, a glittering canvas of ambition and betrayal. I stood on the balcony of our Manhattan penthouse, the cool evening air caressing my skin. My fingers absently traced the platinum band on my left hand—a habit I'd developed whenever the past threatened to overwhelm me. "You're thinking about them, aren't you?" I didn't need to turn to know Leonardo had joined me. His presence was like a physical force, powerful and reassuring. The mate bond between us hummed with his concern. "They're just ghosts, Violet," he said, his arms encircling me from behind. His chin rested on my shoulder, his breath warm against my neck.

Chapter 1 It was their seventh wedding anniversary. Carolyn found the divorce agreement in Roger’s nightstand. The pages were covered in scribbles and corrections, as if he’d agonized over them for years. *"If, during the marriage, I fall in love with another person, I voluntarily relinquish all assets and leave with nothing. Asset details as follows…"* His first impulse had been to walk away empty-handed. But the asset section told a different story—a mess of revisions. First, he’d crossed out the property he intended to give her. Then, the fifty million earmarked for her was scratched out and replaced with five hundred thousand. Finally, as if in penance, he had written a single line. *"Better to have Carolyn leave with nothing. No choice, Catherine is pregnant."* … Carolyn sank onto the bed, disbelief washing over her. On the agreement, Roger’s signature was clean and decisive, without a hint of hesitation. And the document had been drafted seven years ago—the very year they married. That year, Roger had been willing to give up everything for her. Yet every year after, he had crossed out another piece of their shared life. Now, seven years later, the one leaving with nothing would be her. Her phone buzzed abruptly. A message from Roger. *"Urgent business. Won't be back."* She called, only to find his phone already switched off. Another notification flashed—a screenshot from a friend. Catherine, the student she sponsored, had posted on social media. *"Wow, got praised! To commemorate my first period without a leak, the big boss said we should celebrate properly!"* In a nine-photo collage, Roger gazed at her, eyes crinkling with affection as he fastened a dazzling gemstone necklace around her neck. The post was tagged at a couples-themed hotel. Carolyn’s breath caught. He couldn’t remember seven years of marriage, of weathering storms together—but he could find the energy to celebrate Catherine’s… leak-free period. And that pendant… she’d seen it at an auction just last week. It was her mother’s lost heirloom. She’d been ready to bid when her bank card was frozen. She’d asked Roger why. A long time later, he finally texted back, telling her not to waste money on such impractical things. Clutching her bidding paddle, she’d sat helplessly in the auction hall. In the end, she resolved to sell one of her own designs to raise the funds. But someone on the phone swooped in with an unbeatable offer and took it. For weeks afterward, Carolyn hated herself—hated that she couldn’t protect her mother’s last keepsake. She never imagined the one who snatched it away was Roger. He knew exactly how much that pendant meant to her. Yet he gave it to Catherine. Even on their seventh anniversary, Roger had lied about being busy with work, while wining and dining the girl she’d sponsored. The anniversary gift he left her was a divorce agreement demanding she leave with nothing. Seven years of marriage. Seven years of infidelity. And Carolyn had known nothing. She’d even introduced the other woman to him herself. Catherine was the impoverished student Carolyn sponsored. The first time Catherine came to their home to give thanks, Roger found her intrusive and disliked her on sight. *"That girl has no manners. Tracked mud all over my cashmere rug."* *"If her grades aren’t up to par, cut the sponsorship."* Back then, Carolyn had teased him, saying not to be jealous—it was good the girl had a grateful heart. She never once suspected Roger and Catherine. For seven years, everyone in their circle believed Roger never played around. That he loved only Carolyn. But by their next meeting, Catherine had become Roger’s personal assistant. Roger explained, *"The girl’s had it tough. You’ve sponsored her for years. Giving her a job is just helping you out."* Carolyn had laughed it off. Now, hands trembling, she opened Catherine’s social media feed. Catherine had always hidden her posts from Carolyn. Now, she seemed desperate to flaunt everything. While Carolyn drank until her stomach bled to secure a deal for Roger, Catherine was using Roger’s card to buy her first Louis Vuitton. While Carolyn changed bedpans for Roger’s bedridden grandmother, Roger was taking Catherine to a perfume atelier for a blending class—calling it a business trip. Catherine had even complained online. *"Your wife is such a pampered princess. Can't handle the tiniest thing without you running back. Can she not live without a man?"* And Roger had replied beneath it. *"If she were half as independent as you, I’d have an easier life."* But that day… Carolyn’s mother had lost her battle with cancer. She’d cried until her heart felt shredded, scrambling to handle the arrangements. All the while, Roger kept checking his phone impatiently, eager to leave. Not for work, she realized now—but because he was desperate to get back to Catherine.

"A toast," Eden declared as servants began distributing crystal glasses filled with deep red wine. "To new beginnings." My stomach clenched as a server approached me with a tray. I started to shake my head—everyone in the pack knew of my severe allergy to alcohol. It had been documented since I became Luna; Eden himself had always ensured non-alcoholic alternatives were available at every gathering. But before I could decline, Eden was suddenly before me, taking a glass from the tray himself. His eyes, once warm amber pools I could drown in, were now cold and distant as he extended the wine toward me. "Surely our former Luna will join us in celebrating this momentous occasion," he said, loud enough for nearby pack members to hear. His emphasis on "former" cut through me like a blade. "Eden," I whispered, my voice barely audible even to werewolf ears. "You know I can't—" "Drink," he commanded, his Alpha tone washing over me like a physical force. "Honor our new Luna. Your new Luna."

It had been nine years of being tangled up with Max. On my birthday, his girlfriend crashed the party, declaring they were meant to be together and that I should consent to a divorce for their happiness. Max watched indifferently, expecting me to handle the situation as I always had with his difficult partners. But that day, a sudden wave of exhaustion washed over me. I stood up, gave him a smile, and said, "I'm going to get some fresh air in the garden." Max barely noticed, likely thinking I was off to cry in solitude. But an hour passed, then two, then three, and I didn’t return. He came looking for me. All he found was a burnt cigarette and a ring in the garden. That's when he knew. I wasn't coming back.

The steering wheel slicked under my palms, my knuckles white ridges against the leather. Rain lashed the windshield of my sedan, blurring the Manhattan skyline into a smear of weeping gray. I checked the dashboard clock again. 2:14 PM. Collin’s prep began at 2:30. My son needed a piece of my liver to survive, and I would tear this city apart with my bare hands to get to him. In the rearview mirror, a black SUV loomed, its grille a steel maw swallowing the distance between us. I changed lanes. It followed. Another flanked me on the right, boxing me in against the concrete divider of the FDR Drive.

In Save That Evil Billionaire And Her Stepson, Aileen transmigrates as a villainess facing a deadly mission. To survive this billionaire romance novel, she must save her hostile family while using a staged breakdown to rewrite her fate in this gripping modern novel.